Method and apparatus for fitting bands of fabric or other material around wires for outer covers of pneumatic tires



y 25, 1965 N. NEBOUT 3,185,607

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FITTING BANDS OF FABRIC OR OTHER MATERIAL AROUND WIRES FOR OUTER COVERS OF PNEUMATIC TIRES Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12, 1962 May 25, 1965 N. NEBOUT 3,185,507

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FITTING BANDS OF FABRIC QR OTHER MATERIAL AROUND WIRES FOR OUTER COVERS OF PNEUMATIC TIRES Filed June 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l l I l I l l I I I J I l l l l l l l l United States Patent Claims. in. 156-443) The present invention relates to a method and a device for folding over each other portions of a band or strip of rubber fabric or other similar material around a wire for outer covers of pneumatic tires, in such a manner as to provide a composite ring unit having the aspect of a truncated cone, with the sides thereof presenting a wel defined shape and slope. The method according to the invention comprises essentially placing a strip or band of fabric, forming a cylindrical sleeve, girdledby said wire, onto a cylindrical car- 'rier surface fitting in said sleeve, the side portions of said band, onboth sides of the wire, bounding inflatable and deformable chambers or envelopes, said envelopes being then inflated and deformed by driving them back towards each other, in such a manner that these, in turn, cause the "sleeve to be deformed and the corresponding portions thereof to be folded towards each other, around said wire.

' Said wire is surrounded, preferably, by a packing ring, for instance of rubber, of a tapered section along the sides of which the side portions of said sleeve are folded over 'and applied. 1 I The invention also contemplates the provision of an apparatus for carrying above mentioned method into effect.

The invention will be best understood from the following description and appended drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention given by way of a non limitative example; in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an axial view, in cross-section, of a wire around which aband orstrip of fabric has been folded,

according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view in elevation and in longitudinal half-section, of an apparatus according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line IIIIII of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic fragmentary views illustrating the method of operation of the apparatus of the invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, there is shown a base or stand 1 comprising a bearing having journalled therein one of the ends of a shaft 3, on the other end of which is secured a hub 4 of a cylindrical drum 5.

Around said drum 5 are located inflatable bags 6 having pipes 7 connected together by a conduit 8, which is, in turn, connected, through a pipe 9, to a port 10 formed in said hub 4 and communicating with a duct 11 formed in shaft 3. Duct 11 leads into groove 12 formed in hub 2 and communicating, through a duct 13, with a compressedair distributor 14. Gaskets 15 provide a tight joint with regard to shaft 3.

On said bags 6 are placed longitudinal members such as staves or bars 16 of a partially cylindrical shape and of a width such that they may be brought nearest to drum 5 when the bags are in a deflated state. The ends of the staves 16 are engaged in annular retaining elements consisting of U-section end-shields 17, secured at the ends of drum 5 so as to limit the motion of said staves towards the outside. The staves 16 are surrounded, at their central portion, by a ring or annulus 18 of rubber or other similar material, of a diameter such that it will remain tight when the bags 6 are deflated and the staves near drum 5.

On both sides of ring 18 are located ring-shaped, inflatable and deformable chambers, exemplified by envelopes 19 and 20, of rubber for instance, having a head or flange 19-a or 20-a adjacent ring 18 and a side portion 19-b or 20-11, respectively, extending up to and adjoining said end-shields 17. The staves 16 are provided, beneath portions 19-12 and 20-h, with raised sections 16-a, so that the outer surfaces of ring 18 and of envelopes 19 and 20 are substantially in continuation to each other, providing a cylindrically-shaped bearing surface when said envelopes are not in an inflated state.

Each chamber or envelope comprises a duct 19-0 and 20-c, respectively, traversing one of said staves 16, as well as the drum wall wherein it is slidably mounted, said ducts being respectively connected, by means of hose pipes 21 and 22, respectively, to openings 23 or 24 formed in said hub 4 and communicating with ducts 25 and 26, respectively, provided in shaft 3.

Duct 25 leads to a groove 27 in bearing 2 and communicating, through a duct 28, with a compressed-air distributor 29. Similarly, duct 26 leads into a groove 30 to which is connected a pipe 31 fed by a distributor 32 Gaskets 15 provide a tight joint between grooves 27 and 30, respectively, and shaft 3. Slidably mounted on shaft 3 is a hub 33 of a bell structure 34 the cylindrically-shaped skirt 35 of which has an inner diameter which is slightly superior to that of the cylindrical bearing surface comprised of the deflated envelopes 19 and 20 and ring 18. Skirt'35 terminates in a circular flange or collar 36.

The bell structure 34 is shiftai by means of a doubleacting fluid pressure actuated jack 37 resting on base 1 and operated from a distributor 38.

Coaxially with shaft 3, and spaced apart a certain distance from drum 5, is a shaft 39 supported by base 40. On said second shaft is slidably mounted the hub 41 of a further bell structure 42, similar to hell 34, and having its skirt terminated in a flange 44. The shifting of said bell structure 42 is effected by means of a double-acting fluid pressure actuated jack operated from a distributor The apparatus described hereinabove is adapted to produce ring-shaped elements such as illustrated in FIG. 1 and which consists of a rod or wire 47 of any known type around which is placed a band or strip 48 of fabric or some other flexible material, the side portions P and P of which are folded over each other; the folding may also be achieved around a filler or packing ring 49, of rubber for instance, the cross-section of which is commonly a rectilinear or curvilinear triangle.

This ring-shaped element has the general shape of a truncated cone the mean angle at the apex of which may vary in accordance, in particular, with the type of outer case or cover for which said ring is to be used. The slopes of said flanges 36 and 44 of the bell structures 34 and 42, respectively, are determined as a function of the apex angle which the ring-shaped elements to be manufactured must present.

The apparatus described operates as follows:

The band or strip 48, in the shape of a ring-shaped sleeve, is placed on the cylindrical bearing surface formed by ring 18 and the envelopes 19 and 20 in a deflated state, the staves or bars 16 being driven outwardly by means of the bags 6 inflated by distributor 14. Portion P rests on envelope 19 and portions P on envelope 20, these two envelopes being only partially covered up by said sleeve (FIG. 2).

The bell structure being shifted to the left so as to clear the corresponding side of the drum, the wire 47- carrying, if necessary, said ring 49is placed around sleeve 48 in such a manner that the wire is set in perpendicular relationship to ring 18. The position of the bell structures 42 and 34 is then adjusted in such a manner that the end of the skirt thereof covers up the end of the corresponding inflatable envelope, as shown in FIG. 2.

The distributors 29 and 32 are then actuated to inflate the envelopes 19 and 20, those portions of said envelopes which are not subjected to the action of the bell structures forming rolls or folds 50 and 51 which raise the portions P and P of the sleeve 48 and initiate the folding action of the sleeve around wire 47 (FIG. 4).

The screw-jacks 37 and 45 cause the bell structures 34 and 42 to be shifted and the flanges thereof to drive back the folds or rolls 50 and 51 of said envelopes, folding portions P and P towards one another and applying them to the sides of ring 49, as shown in FIG. 5.

The application of said portions on said ring sides does not produce the pleating of the band 48, which presents a perfect shape, whatever the cross-section of ring 49. Moreover, the apex angle of the ring-shaped element 47, 48, 49 may be obtained with any desired accuracy.

T remove said element, the bell structures are pushed back, the envelopes 19 and 20 deflated and the ringshaped element is cleared off the drum.

It is to be noted that the inflating pressures of envelopes 19 and 20 may differ and that the inflating medium may be introduced into said chambers at different times and in different amounts. On the other hand, the movements of the flanges 36 and 44 are independent from one another and may take place according to different laws for each one thereof.

The apparatus will thus operate with extreme smoothness and flexibility.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described by way of example, which may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for folding bands of fabric or the like material around bead wires for outer covers of pneumatic tires comprising in combination: a cylindrical drum, a pair of inflatable and deformable chambers fitted side by side on the outer periphery of said drum; bell structures, each coaxial to and axially slidable relative to said drum, respectively located on each side of said drum, said bell structures each having an inner diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of said chambers when not inflated, and being further provided at their edges directed towards said drum with frustoconical flanges coaxial to said drum and the apex angles of which are substantially supplemental, whereby a band of fabric formed as a cylindrical sleeve, placed onto said chambers and girded by a bead wire may be folded around said bead wire by inflating said chambers and deforming the said chambers by shifting said bell structures towards each other and towards said drum.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including an annulus encircling and secured against axial movement on said drum, said annulus having a radially outer face providing a seat for said fabric and said bead wire, said annulus projecting radially outwardly from the drum between said chambers and being in axial abutment with the respective chambers.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the faces of said flanges directed towards said drum converge towards each other outwardly from the axis of said drum.

4. An apparatus for folding bands of fabric or the like material around bead wires for outer covers of pneumatic tires, comprising in combination: a frame, said shaft being horizontally mounted on said frame, said shaft being provided with longitudinal ducts, means for connecting one end of said duets with sources of fluid under pressure; a drum mounted on said shaft, a pair of inflatable and deformable chambers fitted side by side around the outer periphery of said drum, means for respectively connecting said chambers with the other ends of said ducts; a second shaft mounted on said frame coaxially to and at a distance of said first shaft and said drum; a pair of hell structures each slidably mounted on said shafts on opposite axial sides of said drum, said bell structures having inner diameters slightly greater than the outer diameters of said chambers when not inflated and being further provided, at their edges directed towards said drum with frustoconical flanges coaxial to said drum and both diverging in the same axial direction from their respective shafts; and means connected between said frame and said bell structures for axially shifting both of said bell structures toward and away of said drum for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein said drum comprises a cylindrical surface, an inner set of inflatable bags fitted around said cylindrical surface, a pair of annular retaining elements located on both ends of said surface, longitudinal members disposed on said bags and engaged with said annular elements, said longitudinal members constituting said outer periphery of said drum, and an annulus of noninfiatable but resilient material fitted around said outer periphery between and in axial abutment with said inflatable and deformable bags.

References ited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,899,088 2/33 Geer 156136 X 2,614,952 10/52 Kraft 156132 X 2,653,645 9/53 Frazier 15640l 2,943,668 7/60 Trevaskis et al 156-401 3,011,540 12/61 Vanzo et al. l56422 3,053,308 9/62 Vanzo et al l56132 X 3,078,204 2/63 Appleby l56132 FOREIGN PATENTS 592,044 2/ 60 Canada.

OTHER REFERENCES Burton, W. E.: The Story of Tire Beads and Tires, MCGraW-Hill, New York, 1954 TL270B8, pp. 91-99.

EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner' 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR FOLDING BANDS OF FABRIC OR THE LIKE MATERIAL AROUND BEAD WIRES FOR OUTER COVERS OF PNEUMATIC TIRES COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A CYLINDRICAL DRUM, A PAIR OF INFLATABLE AND DEFORMABLE CHAMBERS FITTED SIDE BY SIDE ON THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM; BELL STRUCTURES, EACH COAXIAL TO AND AXIALLY SLIDABLE RELATIVE TO SAID DRUM, RESPECTIVELY LOCATED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID DRUM, SAID BELL STRUCTURES EACH HAVING AN INNER DIAMETER SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID CHAMBERS WHEN NOT INFLATED, AND BEING FURTHER PROVIDED AT THEIR EDGES DIRECTED TOWARDS SAID DRUM WITH FRUSTOCONICAL FLANGES COAXIAL TO SAID DRUM AND THE APEX ANGLES OF WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY 